Yes, on his 26th — 26th! — birthday, Hill got the news that he beat out the West’s rising son, Tanner Mangum, for the starting job at BYU. At a freshman last season, Mangum threw for 3,377 yards and 23 touchdowns to lead the Cougars to a 9-4 record.

Hill had similar success early in his BYU career. As a sophomore in 2013, Hill’s Cougars went 8-5 and he also threw for nearly 3,000 yards. But his career was interrupted by a Lisfranc injury, described by Sports Illustrated’s Joan Niesen in her Campus Rush story on his journey back:

The Lisfranc joint complex comprises the bones and ligaments that join the midfoot and the forefoot. The metatarsal and tarsal bones, as well as the joint that connects them, are held in place by ligaments that run across and down the foot. Damage to these ligaments constitutes a Lisfranc injury, and without their support, the bones of the midfoot can dislocate, requiring surgery.

Fully recovering from a Lisfranc injury is no walk in the park, so this is a feel-good story for just about everyone involved. Except maybe Mangum. Although, at 26 years old, this will be Hill’s last go-around. So Mangum will still have two years of eligibility left after this year to start for the Cougars.

Plus, Twitter had a field day with the news of a college football starting quarterback in his mid-20s. For reference, when Hill first committed, it was to Jim Harbaugh — at Stanford. That was in 2009. At the same time, Mississippi State’s projected starter at inside linebacker — one of the men who’ll be rushing Hill on Oct. 14 — redshirt freshman Leo Lewis, was just starting middle school.